Europe supports President Donald Trump's plan for a 30-day ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine, with both the EU and the U.S. prepared to heighten sanctions pressure on Moscow if it does not take peace talks seriously, Germany's new chancellor said.
Speaking on his first visit to Brussels since being appointed, Friedrich Merz added that the EU and U.S. would continue to support Ukraine, upping their provision if necessary, though he said Germany continued to oppose joint EU debt to finance defense spending.
"We call on Russia at last to set out on the path for real peace negotiations," he told reporters on Friday. "If that doesn't happen, we won't hesitate, together with our European partners and the U.S., to increase the sanctions pressure."